Tulsa Fire Department's Rehab Unit Helping Crews Stay Cool

First responders aren't letting the dangerous heat stop them from taking care of people in need. But they need help of their own during the heat wave.

Just because the weather is brutally hot, doesn't mean Tulsa Firefighters stop responding to calls. But it does make it even more dangerous for them.

Firefighter Brett Sinkbeil is getting in a morning workout before it gets too hot. He said he takes the heat seriously.

"Sometimes it's just so hot and you're working for so long that it's hard to maintain and you just can't always replenish what you need as quick as you're losing it," said Sinkbeil.

He said responding to scenes like fires with full protective gear on traps in the heat.

"We've got the flashover hood, that goes over your head and it's almost like wearing a stocking cap in the middle of summer," said Sinkbeil.

But luckily for firefighters like Brett, the Tulsa Fire Department's Rehab unit is on the scene to take care of crews.

"We have misters in there, we have fans in there, just really anything that we can think of that will allow them to escape some of those extreme temperatures even just for a little bit," said TFD Spokesman Andy Little.

He said the van goes to scenes where firefighters will be exposed to the heat for hours. He said firefighters will also have formal rehab assignments when it's time to take a break.

"Once you get to that point where you stop sweating, you're confused. Oftentimes you may not realize you’re in trouble, so it's nice to have someone designated to keep your eyes on you and make sure you're safe," said Little.

He said once they get replenished, they're good to go to keep helping people in need.

Andy Little said they've also been sending more crews to big scenes to make sure they can rotate fresh firefighters.